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Southland Times, Issue 737, 16 October 1867, Page 2

The regular monthly meeting of the Southern Cross Lodge, No. 997, will be held at their Lodge Room, Clarendon Hotel, this evening. ; The newly formed Rifle' Corps is giving signs 'of a persistent vitality most refreshing. It now numbers, we understand, about one" hundred and thirty members, independent of a Cadet Company of over fifty. A good Fife and Drum Band J has been organised,' that from i the rapidity of the' advancement made may be expected to enliven the dullness of the town in leading the company in its march on an early day. The rifles have been distributed during th* last few days to tho c members who have attended morning drill, .and as by the Tararua the ammunition' has : arrived, rifle practice wiil be commenced immediately the targets are erected. The energy that has T)eeri displayed by Captain Harvey and his officers to make, if possible, this the crack corps of New Zealand, justifies the belief- that, at the next Colonial Rifle Match, Otago will not take all the prizes. - .... . . . ■ . .• ■ . .. vi . We learn from a contemporary that " Bishop Suter arrived at Nelson on the 26th nit., in the ship Cissy, after a very pleasant voyage, r Besides; a large number of passengers — immigran a specially seleoted under the eye. of Bishop Suter —there are accompanying his Lordship four olergymen— the Rer Mr Ewald, Chaplain to the Bishop ; the Rev Mr Harvey, th^ Rev Mi? Thorpe aad the Rev Mr Moulee," " ; The revenue froni the Atlantio cable this yeftr promises to touch £i 50,03O f or within £150,000

Mr Warden Beetham, writing from the > Queens town and .Upper Shotoyer districts, under date 3QtK September, says' ::■— " The progress and prospects of this goldfield;, ; at , the end of last ; month, "'may be considered as moßt satisfactory, both from ' a mining and ; agricultural point of ;view. Plenty of' water' has. been available, and -sluicing operation's have been ; carrierd on with . great vigor. The returns of gold during the past - foj&night have been very good ; and they will, I ■ think, continue -to improve. -Some very good ground has been opened at the -Upper Shotover* The prospects of the various reef claims in that portion,,Qf the .district appear also.to be somewhat improving. Several applications for mining leases jind ) extende_d_claims_have.been mada during the — month,- and the population is decidedly t)n the increase. lam happy, also, to be able: to report that Johnson's claim) on the shore of the lake, near Queenstown,- is yielding veiy.. good .returns. Payable gold has been found, and water applied for, at Picnic JBay,- about four miles distant from. Queenstown. Mr Johnson, who is perhaps one . of the best arid most practical sluicers. in the Province, is engaged in persererjngly prospecting between this place and Bucklerbui'n, and is., sanguine d{ success. I'believe I may state that itris Jan ascertained fact that gold 'exists oh the south shore of the lake ; and I hope ere long to see extensive workings in thit locality. Our great want is population, to develope these and other workings. The, great event of the month has been; the opening of the Morven Punt, a ceremony which 1 regret! was too unwell to attend. Some repairs are most urgently required to the siding leading out ..of the Shotpver River to., Franklin's Flat, preparatory to the construction, of tiie bridge on. the Shotover. The crop* throughout the entire field look, very well, and a, large breadth of land will be nnder crop this season. 'Intlie Arrow district the Cai'drona is fast increasing in size and importance. It is to be v regretted' that nearly all the gold from that locality goes to "sweil the Cromwell ' escort, while the. work is done from the arrow ; and is no small item jeither in the 'engagements of the Warden and Magistrate of that district, as the road is a long and dangerous brie to travel. The population of the district is — Queenstowri; miners, 300 ; otherwise employed, 500 ■: Upper Shotover, ' : miners, 375; otherwise employed^ 75; i. Chinese, . 5 ; total 1255. The current rates of wages are — Miners, £3 10s per week ;: farm; servants, 30s to 40s a? week and-found ; ; .day -labor, .I2s per day $ -female servants, ,£l' per , week." — Otago Daily ■■ Times, Uth Oct. , r^ ;T' ; r;- , .- . "The ' manager of - tha Hill • (formerly Canada) Quartz Mining Company, under date October sth, reports : — " Chrushing operations havej been suspended during the last week to permit the carpenters to finish the covering in of the wheel. ' ; l had expected to have been able to go on crushing affnignt j~o"u't' "found" the labor of' taking down arid-" putting up' -of aca Sol ding : too great; Taking "aEvantage of this stoppage of crushing, I started a shaft on Monday; afternoon, and by woriing three shifts; by Saturday ' I cutithe reef at a depth of fifty feet, showing a fine body of stone -4 ft: -3 in.: thick. vErom general appearance, I should say this stone ought to turn out at least as well, if not better than what has been worked.. The shaft now -sunk will be a permanent one, having sank it in solid ground thirty , feet from the reef, : and then put in a drive twentynine feet, before meeting the .reef, showing an underlie of abouiseven feet in fifty. I may also mention that I opened a small piece of ground further along the line of reef, and found it 3 ft. 6 in. thick, with gold visib'le'iri the stone, and a fair prospect from the. casing. I expect to start crushing on Tuesday, as also to have the tramway finished this week ]so that, , in another fortnight, our heavy preliminary expenses, I hope, will be at an end, at least for some time. Preparations are being made by' a party to test another claim. If- they prove successful, it will establish the permanency and value of mining property here, and the surrounding- districts will soon find the benefit."— lbid, /. irrom the Westport Times we learn that the man Robert 'Wilson j charged with having committed the murder at Deadman's Creek,has been arrested and brought up before the Resident Magistrate. Evidence to prove the connection of the accused with the, deceased -waa produced, and a good many circumstances of a suspicious nature were proved against him. Our contemporary says: — "He does not look at all like one . capable of such an atrocious deed, and did not appear to be at all disconcerted at his position j but we ■ believe there is some very damning ' evidence in the possession , of the police that has yet to come. The tent in which he was living has v several'blbod; stains' on it, and one corner of j the flap has evidently been washed, but a red fringe, clearly blood, borders the washed parh The police have sent for a microscope, when the ■ stains -will besubjected to scientific examination, and their character positively ascertained. The investigation is likely to occupy a very considerable time, but it is intended to conclude it if* possible at the next examination. . Melbourne papers state that a party, is being formed for the exploration .of New Guinea. . It v is intended that the expedition should consist of from 100 to 150 men, well-armed, to' charter a vessel of 300 or 400 tons, carrying cannon, and . to; establish a regular organisation, with leaders-,, and officerß. .. The Police statistics of Paris ; shbw ; that m ' March, of the current year' 226 horses and 59 asses, iix April 226 lioraes and 29 asses, and May 208 horsea and IP AQakeyi were killed fejp